Life's Choices
by pixeltrixxi
Summary: HPOC DMOC HPDM DMHP SLASH...Don't like, don't read. Life is full of choices. But which one will Harry pick when it comes down to it? PostHogwarts, Harry&Draco are Aurors
1. Chapter 1

Harry drank the last of his coffee then sat back on his chair. He wondered briefly where Draco was, but wasn't overly concerned. He was usually late. He sighed. Why couldn't the little git ever be here on time?

An owl flew through the window and landed on his desk. He narrowed his eyes. That owl looked awfully familiar to Draco's owl, Erignid. He debated with himself whether to open it. The last time he'd opened a letter from Draco he'd been covered with ketchup; Draco's little idea of a joke. Ever since then he'd taken extra precaution while opening letters from him. In fact, he took extra precautions when around Draco full stop. You never knew what to expect with him around.

The door opened and Draco stepped into the office they shared.

"About time," Harry commented dryly.

"What? Can't a guy be fashionably late?" He sat behind his desk and shoved his briefcase on the table.

"Yeah, sure. Especially when you're in a meeting with Waterman."

Harry and Draco were heads of separate auror teams, while Waterman was in charge of Harry, Draco and a couple of others. Waterman was strict on punctuality, and could be very frightening when agitated. Even Draco didn't challenge him; and that was saying something.

Draco's head shot up. "You're joking!"

"Uh, no, I'm not actually." Harry checked his watch. "In fact, you're fashionably late by, what? Oh that's right. Fifteen minutes."

"Oh shit. Bollocks!"

"It's your fault. Maybe you'll think twice about coming 'fashionably late' to your job again. Wait - that's if you still have a job. Uh, by the way, is this your Erignid?"

He checked quickly while gathering his possessions. "No, it isn't. Familiar, though. Why?"

"Oh, that's alright then." He opened the letter and read it over. It was from Tom.

"Thanks," he said sulkily. "So who's it from, then?"

"Just Tom, wondering whether I'll be coming out tonight after work. Fancy like joining us?"

Draco gave him a dirty look. "No, I would not like to join you and _lover boy_ Tom." And before Harry could ask what was with the sudden change of mood, Draco crossed the room and slammed the door behind him.

Harry looked at the door for a few seconds after, then put it down to just being Draco.

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What did he care if Harry was going out with some guy? Why would he care? Why would he even want to go with them?

Besides, he didn't like _Tom_ anyway.

And Harry was only going to end up dumping him anyway. He always does.

Not that I snoop in his business or anything. He can keep Tom and his love life to himself. Draco didn't need to know every time he got a new boyfriend. Did he?

Draco stopped in his tracks. What if Harry thought Tom was _The One_? What if he was already planning the little baby Potters already?

He couldn't cope with this. He was confused. Maybe he should just write a quick note to Waterman. He'd understand. Well...on the safe side, just say he was sick.

Yeah. That's it.

He wrote a quick note and passed it to a nearby owl. "Give this to Waterman, 'Kay?"

The owl gave him a quick nip to show she understood before flying towards Waterman's office.

Then he apparated to Pansy's flat.

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Pansy turned to the clock. He'd been here an hour already. After the first five minutes she'd got where the flow of the conversation was going, so she'd tuned him out long ago.

Two hours later, he was still talking about Harry bloody Potter.

"Listen, Draco. Why don't you just get it over with and just ask him out for Merlin's sake? Do you realize we have this conversation every week? Sometimes more than that."

"Well soooorry...I thought you were a friend. I guess I thought wrong."

"Draco, I'm giving you advice. Instead of bitching about Potter's boyfriends, go and ask him out. In fact, I'm pretty sure you don't even know the poor guys. Most of the time they're pretty oblivious to the reason why you seem to hate them so much."

"But don't you realize? Potter will never say yes. And besides, I don't like him _that_ much."

Pansy gave Draco an odd look. "Draco, you LOVE him. You never stop talking about him. You think, eat and sleep Harry James Potter. And you have been for the last three years. Get over it, Draco. Admit it. You love him."

"No I don't. I've had plenty of other boyfriends. If I loved him as much as you're saying, I would have been a geezer with a sad life, _alone_."

Pansy was getting fustrated. Why couldn't he just admit it? "Draco, darling. Answer this for me. Why are all the boyfriends you ever have either have black hair, green eyes or glasses? Or even a mixture. And why did you want to become a Potions master then just _suddenly_ change your mind when you found out Potter was an auror? Oh, I know why. IT'S BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM GODDAMMIT!!"

Ah. That felt good. She had been dying to say that for _months_. Pansy watched his mouth open and close, looking for a comeback. But there wasn't one, and he realized it. All of his boyfriends were Harry Potter lookalikes. He couldn't even find another reason why he didn't want to be a Potions master anymore.

Pansy uncurled herself from the armchair and sat next to Draco on the couch. "Look, Draco. I'm not looking for an argument. I'm just proving a point. If you wont admit you love him, then you have to admit you like him. At least a little. Otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me about him so often. But you know the score; if you don't try, then you'll never know. Just ask him out."

"But I can't. What if he says no?"

"Well that's it. It'll be a no. But you wont lose anything by trying."

"Mmm. Well. I'd better be off. I've taken the hint. I obviously take up too much of your time." He stood and put his coat on. "Bye, Pansy." He then apparated to some unknown spot. Maybe he would finally ask Potter out. Probably not.

She picked up the telephone and dialed Granger's number.

She was oddly helpful in these stressful situations.

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Harry was just reading a letter from Waterman when Draco stumbled inside. "Speak of the devil."

"Huh?"

"Waterman's trying to get me to spy for him; fat chance. I'm paid to be an auror, not a spy."

"Spy on who?"

"You, of course. He's trying to find out whether you were really ill or not...you're being awfully slow today. First you end up fifteen minutes late to a meeting you never turned up to, now this..."

"Sorry. Hey Potter, would you-"

Draco was cut off mid sentence as the phone rang. "Sorry," Harry mumbled as he answered.

Draco sat on the edge of Harry's desk, waiting for him to finish. He watched as Potter's face turned from content, to surprised, to mortified. He finally put the phone down and his face was grave.

"I hope whatever you wanted to say can wait, 'cause we've gotta get down to Burncroft park...we've got a murder which looks awfully like a muggle's handiwork, but isn't quite. They found traces of magic around the scene."

Draco _was _going to ask Harry out. "Actually I was wondering...uh, never mind. It can wait."

"Sure?"

He lowered his head. He supposed it was fait. The phone rings _just _as he's going to ask him. Maybe it was never meant to be.

"Sure," he replied miserably. "Let's go."

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Harry thought it was actually quite warm, seeing as though it was January. It felt like Spring. But the weather did anything but represent the mood; cold, bitter.

They were just clearing away, and not a moment too soon. The day was wearing thin and people had already had enough of inspecting the dead body on the ground. It was time to go home and think about how lucky you were to be alive and well. Maybe get a bit of paperwork done, go to the pub.

Harry decided to send an owl to Tom explaining he wouldn't be able to make it tonight; he was too tired, plus he had a load of paperwork to complete by tomorrow. All because someone wanted to commit murder.

Draco popped up next to him. "Can you _believe _the amount of paperwork we're going to have to do for this? They never advertise this part of being an auror, do they? Gee, I'm going to be up past midnight thanks to this," he nodded to the dead person, a woman called Kathy Skywalker.

"Why don't you come round to my place, then? We can help each other out a bit if you like, then maybe we'll get done by midnight."

"No, I'll pass. But thanks anyway."

"No problem. So what do you think happened here, then?" Harry asked.

"Defiantly a wizard or a witch. Maybe revenge? They grab the girl, put her under a spell, guide her towards the tree, slip her neck into the rope and knock her unconscious. That's my bet anyway."

"Nah. It goes more complicated than that, you see? Look at the wounds she's got. That isn't just from someone knocking her unconscious. No, I think someone was _punishing _her. They, whoever it was made it personal. They made it long and painful...gee, I'd hate to die like that. I'd like it short and pain free."

Draco looked sadly at the body. "Well, sometimes you just don't have a choice, do you?"

It reminded him of when her mother was murdered by one of the Death Eaters; most people didn't know, but that was the reason he'd suddenly supported Potter. So he became a spy, alongside with Pansy.

His mother died without a choice. Just because she was linked to his father, she had been cruelly murdered.

Just like the girl on the floor before him. It was true; if you were lucky, you'd get a choice, but sometimes you just didn't have choices in life.


	2. Chapter 2

It was officially the end of Draco Malfoy's seventh year at Hogwarts. He'd already had the last leaving feast. He'd already done his last of everything. His last DADA lesson. His last Potions lesson. The last time he'd ever see everyone all together. The last time he'd ever sit in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. The last time he'd ever step off onto the platform.

It sounded awfully depressing when you put it like that. But he supposed it was the start of something new. It wasn't the end; it was the beginning.

If he wanted it to be.

His life was starting to resemble a video tape; all up until the time his mother was murdered, it was on play. When she was murdered, it was on rewind.

As soon as he became friends with Harry Potter, it was going fast forwards. He suddenly respected things he wouldn't have done a year before. Seen things that would last a lifetime. Laughed so much he nearly wet himself. All because of a friendship with one boy. It didn't make him regret the things he'd said in the past; after all, he meant most of what he said.

It felt weird not to be going back to Malfoy Manor. Not that he would've wanted to. It was where he found his mother's body when he returned last year. He decided from then on to avenge her death. He still hadn't got who did it. It was so frustrating knowing that your mother's murderers were out there, alive, walking, talking. It was unfair. Life was unfair.

So right now, he was with Harry, Hermione and Ron. Their first names still felt foreign on his tongue. He sometimes caught them nearly calling him by his last name, too. The whole sensation felt weird. One minute he was surrounded by all the Slytherins he would ever need, the next he was only pretending to like most of the Slytherins, and meeting up with Harry at night.

Ah, that would be what he'd miss most of all. Harry's and his last midnight meetup.

Okay, he was going to miss Hogwarts full stop. Not that he would ever admit it aloud. It had been his home for nearly half his life. He'd even miss Dumbledore, however much he did despise the old codger. He used people to fight for him; he used Harry. Not that Harry realised it at the time. Draco explained to him exactly what he meant. Then Harry understood. He understood that he was one of Dumbledore's finger puppets, that he could do this all without Dumbledore after all.

Then it was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Pansy against the world. Alongside a few others. And they'd won. Several teenagers versus a hundred Death Eaters, and they'd won. Nobody knew _what _happened, though. One minute Harry and Voldemort were fighting, the next they had disappeared. After a few days, Harry returned in a coma and unable to remember exactly what happened. Voldemort hadn't been seen since.

Everyone thought the last battle would be more gruesome, all full with step by step account of what happened. But no, nothing. The press were furious with that. So they made up their story, as usual. Nobody was bothered though. Nothing mattered, at least to Draco. Harry was in a coma.

Draco was the only one who was at Harry's bedside for the three weeks. He had brief cold showers at St.Mungo's, he didn't eat properly and he didn't talk to anybody. Not even Pansy.

It was hard to say who looked worse off when Harry finally woke up. He didn't ever think that everyone let out a sigh of relief when Harry woke up; everyone thought he was a goner. But no, Harry came back, once again, victorious. It had been Draco's little joke, therefore, that nothing could ever tarnish the Boy Wonder's winning streak; not even a coma and several life-threatening situations.

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Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco were sat in Dumbledore's office. More commonly known as Dumbledumb's Hell Hole. He even had the phoenix to prove it was a hell hole.

They were sat around the Pensive. This time they weren't going into it. They were viewing the projection of it; not that it was any better.

They were still watching people die.

Except this particular one was personal. _How dare he? How dare the old codger show this?_ He glared at the elderly wizard.

The bastard had the death of his mother on a projection.

Suddenly the contents of his stomach didn't seem keen to remain still. That and the sobs that stuck in his throat made him stand up and run. As fast and far away as possible.

_The two masked Death Eaters cackled. The only thing that was certain was that one was a woman, the other a man._

_Narcissa curled up, trying to shield her body from view, whilst screaming in agony. The masked Death Eater's were casting some sort of curse on her; it seemed to keep slashing her, for want of a better word._

_"Tut, tut. Imagine if Lucius could see you now. Or even _Draco_." They laughed stupidly into the sleeves. "Oh, yes. Imagine if he could."_

_Narcissa's eyes widened in realization and agony combined. "Draco! I know you're watching," She managed to scream through gritted teeth and screwed-up eyes. It was hardly recognisable from the screaming, but Draco couldn't have heard it clearer than if she was stood next to him. "Don't - talk to you're father. Don't - ARGH - join these imbeciles... An' just - remember..."_

_Still with her eyes screwed up, she mouthed _elephant juice_, their little joke since Draco was little._

He'd ran away at that point; he couldn't bear seeing his mother's last moments that way. In fact, he couldn't bear seeing them _any _way.

He collapsed next to the lake and emptied his stomach's contents down his clothes. Not that he'd meant to. He wasn't aiming anywhere really. He wasn't bothered anymore. He was alone and he'd just viewed some of his mother's last moments. She'd wasted her last precious seconds passing a message to him.

He started to cry into his knees. His mother...

He was only half aware when Harry sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. And instead of hexing him, cursing him or even insulting him, he leaned into the embrace and shared his worries with him.

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Wasn't it ironic that when his mother was murdered, he'd never thought to talk to Harry about it? After all, that was what he was famous for, wasn't it? And hadn't Draco been degrading him about his fame since they were eleven?

Whether it was the best day of his life because of Harry, or whether it was the worst because of his mother, it was definitely one thing: the most important. The one he'd remember for the rest of his life.

The end of his childhood; the start of a new beginning.

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Ever since that evening, Harry and himself met up at midnight every night down by the lake. Neither of them knew why. They just supposed they were craving for a new friendship; Ron and Hermione had just starting going out and Pansy was now officially his only friend.

From then on, they became inseparable. Wherever Draco was, Harry would be there and Ron, Hermione and Pansy not far behind. That was the way it became, and always would be.

Unless Harry was dating.

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Hey, thanks for the reviews I've already got. You lot are real happiness-boosters! -grins-

And btw, I love the long reviews. They make me smile even more...-smiles-

So leave some more reviews please. I'm a review whore.

Toni x


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, thanks to everyone who left a review for the last chappie. -grins- I decided to put this up here to save all of the confusion. Try mouthing 'elephant juice' in the mirror. Go on, trust me, I'm not being my usual weird self for once. What does it look like your saying? _I love you_. Or something similar. So now you know what it means! It's also quite a funny trick to make people mouth 'i love you'. Well, it's funny for me.**

**So now I'll stop rambling and get back to the story...and you can stop damning me for wasting my time writing this (admit it, you know you are).**

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A few years ago, if anyone had said to Harry, "Hey, Harry, do you know that you'll become best friends Draco Malfoy in a year or two?" he was have checked their heads personally.

But things have changed. He'd even say that Draco was at the top at the list, but Ron and Hermione closely after.

Everything changed in one evening; the evening they viewed Draco's mother's death.

He'd noticed the tell-tale signs of it being recorded by someone who was very clumsy; the project and fingers were all over the place. Which meant someone else was involved. He was pretty sure that Hermione had noticed, but he was certain Draco hadn't. Harry hadn't told him yet, but he'd actually worked out who was holding the camcorder; they viewed it again at one of the Death Eater's perspectives.

It was non other than Lucius Malfoy.

Up until that point, they'd suspected that she was killed by being linked to Lucius. Technically, she was, but it was actually Lucius who had set her up. She'd probably said something to him about Death Eaters, or something like that. Who knew?

--------------------------------

He remembered the night clearly; it was one full of deception and death. The night sky was clear, scattered with stars. He knew that because he'd sat there comforting Draco until they'd eventually fell to sleep there.

They'd stayed silent, just the faint sobbing sounds coming from Draco occassionally. What was funny though, was how it wasn't an awkward silence as you would expect. It was actually comfortable.

The next night, he'd gone there again to think; mainly about Draco. Then Draco sat next to him. At first, it was just silence. Then they began to talk. It was just little things like Quidditch and classes. They were trying to forget the world outside of their little safety bubbles. The world full of death and war and ever other horrible thing you could think of.

That was where Harry's and Draco's whole friendship started.

At that, it became a regular occurence. Every night, about midnight, they'd sit outside and start chatting. And when they did that, that were able to forget. Forget their pasts, the present and their futures.

After that, they began to meet up more and more; in the library to study, into empty classrooms to pratice. Or even just to talk some more. When they past each other in the corridors, they'd give the other a friendly bump or a smile or even a hello. The school gossipers got into action immediatly. All sort of stories were spread around school; that they'd cursed each other, they'd secretly been friends/lovers all along, even that Harry Potter had an evil twin. They just laughed them off as soon as they heard them.

But when Draco came one night, black and blue, Harry flipped.

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Draco lay on the floor, wimpering in pain. He would have said, 'Don't hurt me,' but that would just give them the satisfaction. He kept his mouth zipped, however hard it was to insult them or beg for them to stop.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed at him at kicked him a little more. Blaise just stood to the side, smirking with satisfaction. "You see, Draco, this is what you get for hanging with the wrong people, doing the wrong things. You're disgracing the Slytherin name. You shouldn't hang around with scumbags like Potter, or mudbloods. We would've done this to Pansy, too, but she's a girl. I may be some things, but I'm not a woman-abuser. So, how does it feel not to be in control anymore?"

Draco wouldn't give them the satisfaction. "Shut up," he said, from his position on the floor. He once again tried to remember where his wand was, then thought again. They'd probably taken it off him. Bastards.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed again, this time with Blaise joining in. "Well, well Draco. Seems like _you're _not very happy."

Goyle smashed his head against the floor, creating a nose bleed. He'd already suspected he had a broken arm, several disgusting-looking bruises and some deep cuts from where they'd scratched him. "You wont get away with this."

"Oh wont we now? Tell me Draco, how does it feel to know your mother was murdered? Maybe you could end the same way. Who would miss you? Well, except from Harry, but I suppose lovers don't count."

Anger bubbled up inside Draco and several comebacks came to mind, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. As he was just reminded seconds ago, he wasn't in control, and as much as he didn't like to admit it, it was actually Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise. They could very easily kill without recieving guilt, he had no doubt about that. And even though his mother had been murdered, she wouldn't want him to end up like that, too. Plus he didn't want to die. He had everything to live for. Like Harry.

Once Blaise had decided he'd had enough, he told Crabbe and Goyle to give him another two kicks or so. It just so happened that Goyle's foot, which was aiming in the stomach direction, but he lost his balance slightly and knocked his head instead.

It felt like the elephants had come home.

Honestly, you try keeping a clear head when one of the biggest oafs (with size 14 feet, also wieghs 25 stone +) whacks you in the head. If he hadn't had so much experience, he was certain he would have passed out. One of the only things he could ever thank his father for.

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Draco staggered upto the tree beside the lake and sat down heavily. Somehow his head was even worse and he was pretty certain he looked like shit. He debaited with himself whether to reveal himself to Harry in this delicate state. The answer was of course, yes, after all, who could he show the injuries to if he couldn't even show Harry them? Harry was the closest friend he had. Well, closest person full stop.

Yes, he decided his arm was most definatly broken. It was twisted into unnatural shape. Something that resembled a banana. Plus the fact it was hurting like mad. Maybe the point of taking his wand was so he couldn't do it himself. So he'd have to get the humiliation over with and ask someone else. Well, they got what they wanted. He had to show Harry himself at his lowest point.

Harry arrived eventually and sat next to him. He turned towrds him, ready to just chat before he froze. Draco watched as emotions flitted over his face, some to fast to tell. Some were confusion, anger and realization. "Who did this?" he said, just a little _too _calmly.

"It really doesn't matter - It's only -"

"_Who did this_?" he asked, a little more persistantly.

"It...Well..." he sighed. Harry wouldn't give up unless he knew the names. "Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle." Harry stood and Draco then realised what he intended to do. "No! Do you realise it's midnight and you don't know the password to the Common Room anyway? The wall will never let a Gryffindor in, besides...If you're found in there, I'm not entirely sure you'll come out. Look at me." Harry still looked far from convinced. "Look, let it drop. I'll deal with it in my own way. Trust me. They're not getting away with this."

He sat down, still looking unconvinced. "Fine. You do realise I can't do healing spells? You'd be better off coming up to the Common Room. Only Hermione's up. She knows her stuff. She fix you up nearly as soon as Pomfrey." At Draco's disbelieving look, he added, "Well, maybe not that quick, but she'll do it a hell of a lot faster and better than I ever could. Unless you want Pomfrey?"

"No. I think I'll stick to Granger." He didn't want Dumbledore and Snape getting involved. As he said, he'd get them back, but in his own time.

"C'mon, then. You'll have to try and walk by yourself, but I'll support you as you're walking. There's a hell of a lot stairs to climb to get up the tower."

"Aren't you breaking some sort of Gryfindor rule by taking me up to your Common Room? Isn't it supposed to be secret?"

"Well, if there is some sort of rule, this can be the exception, then."

Draco stumbled. "Wow, you're making an exception for me," he said sarcastically. "I'm honoured."

"Well, if you don't want to go..."

"No, Potter. I'm fine...sorry."

"Apology accepted."

"You realise that you're taking me up here, while you don't even know where mine is?"

"Yep, I do realise that I'm taking you up here seeing as though I made the offer, and I also do actually know where your Common Room is."

"What?!? How?"

Harry grinned at Draco. "Another time, Draco, another time."


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks after the incident, Draco was fine. Well. Except the numerous scars he had, that would fade within a few years. Harry looked down to the form of Draco Malfoy, who was currently sat in his lap. Hermione, Ron and Pansy were there, too, all sat together. Draco reading a romance book in Harry's lap, Hermione reading '1001 Ways To Ace Your NEWTs' against a tree and Ron and Pansy were playing chess not too far away, next to the lake.

Draco put down his book. "Gee. These books always end the same way...they need some originality...its always the same goddamn beginning, middle and ending. All what they do is change the names." He looked up to the aged building of Hogwarts. "So, what are you doing when you're older? Gonna write an autobiography? I bet you'd make some cash with that, not that you need it." He smiled up at Harry. "Or maybe you'll become a warrior...who knows?"

Harry looked down at Draco. Draco with his perfect, soft blonde hair. Draco with his smile that drove Harry wild when he saw it. Draco who was so not Harry's. He sighed. "Dunno. Always wanted to be an Auror, myself. How about you? Staying here, and taking over Snape with greasy hair?"

"Uh, god no. Imagine me with greasy hair? It would be a waste." Harry couldn't help but agree mentally. "No, actually, I don't want to be a Potions Master anymore." This caught the attention of Pansy, who was currently losing in the game of chess she and Ron were having.

"Draco...did I hear you right? You don't want to be a Potions Master anymore?" He nodded. "Are you feeling alright? That's what you've wanted to be since...well, forever."

"Well, everything's changed. And so has my career options. I want to be an Auror, too."

Pansy looked at Draco's serious face and the water she'd just been drinking came out of her nose, while Hermione looked on distastefully. "Draco, are you being serious? An...well...An Auror?" she finished, surprised. "Well...Er...I'll just get back to my game, shall I?" She said, with a meaningful look that meant they would discuss this later on. Which Harry also didn't miss.

"So why _don't _you want to be a Potions Master anymore? Why an Auror? I mean...It's a big change from what you wanted to do...I mean - not that I'm complaining," he added from the meaningful look Draco gave him. "I'd love for you to work with me and what not. IT's just that...An Auror? Pansy's right."

"Thank you, Harry. It seems I'm not the only one here who sees what this means, and I'm not just going mad."

Harry looked towards Pansy. Over the months, he had grown to accept Pansy like he accepted Hermione; as a sister. She had proved to be funny, charming, witty, cunning, friendly, kind and protective of her friends. Yet another bonus of being Draco's friend.

He was pretty certain that Draco knew he was gay, but also pretty certain that he didn't know how Harry felt. It was weird. Draco was his best friend, but yet so much more than that. At least that was what Harry wanted. Here, in his lap, was everything he could ever want. He knew that, with time this person could be the one above everyone else. His whole life. And that scared him. A lot. He craved a person that would look behind the scar, the name, the fame. A person who loved him for being well...him. A person who loved the fact that he folded his clothes before he went to bed. Loved how he tried to make his hair go flat. Loved his smile. Loved his laugh. Loved him.

And he truly thought that Draco could give all of that to him. If only Draco liked him as much as he did.

But, he wouldn't. And that was end of. So instead, he dated.

Terry Boot made his way up to the group by the lake. "Hey guys! Harry, fancy like coming to Hogsmeade? I'm going now," he said with an award-winning smile that Harry only ever saw flashed at him. And that little fact broke his heart.

"Sure," he replied, grinning up at Terry. He looked down at Draco, who was giving him an unreadable look. Almost emotionless, but something he could quite describe. "Hey, you fat lump! Get up, I need some chocolate." Draco shifted, then looked at his shoes as if they were aliens. Harry had long since questioned Draco; sometimes he was just plain confusing. He then got up and brushed his robes. He then stood on his tip toes, wrapped his arms around Terry's torso and kissed him on the lips. "Mmm," Harry said. "You taste like strawberries."

"Maybe that's 'cause I've just had some strawberries...you always taste nice whatever you've had anyway, so no complaints there," he teased.

"Mhm..." When he turned around, ready to say goodbye, Draco was yet again wearing a different unreadable expression on his face. He would have to ask about that when he came back. Even more confusing, Pansy too, was giving him an odd look while looking between Terry, Draco and him. Ron, Hermione and Terry were all oblivious. Harry linking hands with Terry then waved with the other. "Later."

Hermione looked up and smiled at him, Ron just waved, determined not to lose his game, Pansy gave him an odd look, and Draco muttered, "bye," as if confused.

Huh. So much for showing enthusiasm. Harry just walked in the opposite direction, smiling at Terry, oblivious to Draco's eyes on his back the whole way, until they entered the town of Hogsmeade.

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Harry looked to his watch. Nearly one in the morning. He still hadn't quite finished this paperwork, and boy was he getting tired.

Draco was right, they should advertise this side of being an Auror more. It was ridiculous. Why did they need all of this goddamn paperwork anyway? It wasn't like they were going to forget what they saw anytime soon, anyway. In fact, why don't they just get everyone to copy their memory and store it that way instead? It would be much easier and faster than all of this paperwork.

It was just gone half past before he'd finished everything, and apparently not a moment too soon as he received an unexpected visitor.

Draco stumbled through his fireplace, stumbling over the cushions that lay around it. He was obviously pissed off his head.

"Harry...What...a pleasant...sur-sipruse? Seprise? Sir - prize...What are you doing here?"

"Ah...that would be because it's my home, Draco," he said patiently, leading his friend over to the sofa and taking off his coat, which incidentally smelt like firewhiskey.

"So it is!" he laughed a little longer than he normally would have. "And what a wond...wanderful home you have."

"Yes, it is wonderful," he said distractedly. "I think it's time we got you some coffee."

"Nooo! No...stay...have something to tell you, Harry!"

Harry looked at him. "I'm sure it can wait, Draco."

Draco grabbed the sleeve of his jumper. "No! No...can't wait..."

Harry sighed and sat down next to what he considered to be his best friend. "You're a wreck, Draco. Are you sure you're not going to end up telling me something you'll regret?" He made himself comfy as Draco shook his head 'no'. "So come on then, out with it."

Draco grabbed his hands a little too tightly and bent down. "Will you marry me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Draco, you're pissed. I'll go get you that coffee, and I think I'll get a sobering and hangover potion."

Draco grabbed his hands even harder and tugged. "No! No! Don't go...believe me...I love you..."

Harry looked down in shock as something seemed to get stuck in his throat. "Uh...I think I'll go get the potions...I think you need them..." But against his words, he seemed to be stuck. He couldn't move from his position.

"I love you...I love you..." Draco sat back on the sofa and stroked Harry's cheek. "Lovely soft cheeks...as I imagined..." He then leaned in, and kissed Harry hungrily.

For a moment, Harry's world stopped. This is what he'd dreamed since he'd first liked Draco...but it seemed so wrong...he was drunk...Harry was taking advantage of his in this state. And with all of the effort he knew, he drew back. "I, uh...I'll go get those drinks...I need one, too."

This time, Draco did nothing to stop him from leaving, but just looked at him with eyes filled with so much lust it broke Harry's heart. It took him an age to remember why he'd actually got up.

He turned the kettle on and leaned on the side for support. Never, in a million years he thought that would ever happen. And all of a sudden, all of the buried dreams and feeling came back to him like a bullet through the heart. Draco was drunk, that's all. It's not like he really loved him...was it?

Of course not. He made the coffee, then as he'd done so many times for himself, poured a sobering and hangover potion in, too. As soon as Draco would be sober again, he'd probably regret the whole thing. Regret that he'd kissed someone he didn't love. And once again all of Harry's fantasies would turn to dust once again.

But this time, he wasn't so sure he could handle it all again.

------------------------------

Draco felt like an ass while he finished the rest of his coffee. What made it worse was that he could remember every little detail of what happened. After he'd finished his paperwork, he got drunk while thinking about what he'd never have with Harry, floo'd to Harry's flat at nearly quarter to two in the morning, proposed to him, said he loved him and then kissed him.

In fact, words probably couldn't even describe what he was feeling right now. He felt embarrassed, ashamed and even worse, gutted.

He'd just basically been turned down by Harry Potter. The guy he loved. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Harry looked at him closely, his emotions unreadable. "It's fine," he said without emotion.

"I've upset you, haven't I?" Harry remained silent. "Goddammit, Harry, talk to me!"

Harry slammed his fist on the table. "You've come into _my _home, completely _pissed of your head_, propose to me, then confuse me by kissing me? Sometimes I don't know where I am with you, Draco Malfoy. You never tell me _anything_, anymore. I'm wondering whether you want to actually be friends with me or not! You know, it feels like you'd rather talk to Ron or Hermione or Pansy rather than me sometimes. And it's so _frustrating_! What happened to the times we used to talk about anything and everything? Huh? What happened? Because somewhere across this line, I know I'm missing out on something. You're not telling me something you should be telling me." He put his face into his hands. "We're supposed to be best friends, Draco. Why don't you treat me like one anymore?"

Because I love you. "Because...I think we should spend more time together."

"We work together...what more do you want?"

Your love. "Well, I suppose I feel a little left out with you mentioning Tom all of the time...it's like the time we have together, all you think about is Tom."

"Well, he is my boyfriend, Draco. And besides, Tom and me have been together for a few months...I think we're going to make it serious."

Draco's face said it all. "W-what?"

"I think we're going to tie the knot and settle down...maybe even have a few kids, but we haven't looked that far yet...and if we are, I want you to be best man and Godfather. You mean a lot to me, Draco."

All what Draco wanted to do at that moment in time was bang his hang against a wall, scream his protests, tell Harry that he loved him, and that he couldn't possibly go through with this. But he didn't. "Ok." he paused, thinking of what to say. "Ok. I need to go and get - collect - I...uh...need some sleep. I'll...uh...bye."

He was finding it hard to digest. Him and Tom...married? Children? He felt faint. He needed to go home. Now.

He couldn't have floo'd faster if he tried. He needed to get away...away from here...at least for a while...he could send in a note to Waterman...have a break for a week or so...block his fireplace...yeah. That seemed like a good idea. He blocked his fireplace and warded his doors. He needed some time alone to think. He got a few bottles of whiskey from his cupboard and took them up to his room. Who needed Harry anyway?

He certainty didn't.


End file.
